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For the Homeless, a Day of Dislocation

By Ashley Southall January 19, 2009 10:17 pmJanuary 19, 2009 10:17 pm

In the wee morning hours Tuesday, law-enforcement officers will scour most of downtown D.C., inevitably displacing some of the city’s homeless. Beginning at 3 a.m., security forces will spend seven hours clearing the security perimeter, removing anyone and anything that might pose a security threat during the Inaugural ceremonies.

The sweep is considered necessary by both city authorities and advocates for the homeless, who are helping relocate those who usually spend the nights on the streets.

“No one wants to have a grocery cart too close to the President-elect and not know what’s in it,” said Tommy Wells, the D.C. councilman who oversees the city’s homeless services.

Before the sweep starts, groups like the Salvation Army Grate Patrol are seeking out homeless people and advising them of their options. Of the 6,000 to 14,000 people estimated to be homeless in the Washington proper, roughly 200 sleep outside in downtown.

Because of both the security requirements and the below-freezing temperatures, the city has added capacity at emergency shelters, with many of them staying open around the clock. Along with meals and snacks, the homeless will have access to televisions to view the inaugural activities.

Many individuals who sleep outside express reservations about going to shelters, concerned that they might be mistreated by staff or fall victim to crime, according to Michael Stoops, a spokesman for the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Also, a number of homeless men and women have mental and physical disabilities, and have built routines critical to their stability. Disrupting that, even temporarily, could have devastating consequences, said David Treadwell, director of the Central Union Mission men’s shelter.

“The group that they’re dealing with are the toughest of them all,” he said. “It’s hard to get them to do anything.”

Like anyone else in town, the homeless may reenter the security zone during the day after going through routine screenings.

An almost Depression era like economy,so much suffering in the world,why couldn’t have Mr.Obama been magnanimous enough to say that lets forget about grand inaguration and the corresponding mind blogging security preparations for it and instead have a smaller ceremony.When he won the presidency people like me from outside the US had great hope that US foreign policy would change but Mr.Obamas stunning silence during the recent Israeli attack on Gaza has left us depressed.What ever Hamas may have done this attack was uncalled for and Mr.Obama has lost all credibility.Now I read that homeless people will be asked to shift.Welcome to the third world where the first casuality are the poor and homeless whenever the police needs to clear the roads for a VIP otherwise they are left to rot on the way side!

Obama was also silent as hundreds of rockets rained down on southern Israel. Was that upsetting? For someone concerned about Obama’s credibility, what is left of your own after writing that nothing Hamas does could warrant a military response such as the recent one?

As for the homeless being displaced for a day: Perhaps this is difficult to accept, but the United States *needs* a celebration for its new president. Some might even suggest we deserve to have this celebration. The homeless are not the only ones being pressured so that the “rest” of the country can celebrate secure in the knowledge that our new president is as safe as we can make him on this day.

its not our presidents job to protect gaza or hamas. its about time we stop getting ourselves involved with everyones problems. the whole world hates us because we are always getting involved then when we stop we are critized for not intervening. besides israel has the right to protect its self

It’s interesting to me that we let the homeless sleep wherever they want every other day of the year, but when the President is coming someone stops and says, “Alright, we need to get them out of the way. How are we going to do this?”
That’s insanity to me. These people are getting extra help now, the expanded room in the shelters that has been put in place, more available assistance, is all of this that has been provided going to stay post-inauguration?

I understand the need to clear the area, it just sounds slightly cruel and a more than a bit ridiculous in summary, doesn’t it?

In regards to the inauguration unprecedented numbers of people generates unprecidented security. It is the event that americans want hence the massive turn out. And really don’t we need a boost right now and a sense of hope? As to the gaza issue I really am sick and tired of the muslim world crying about what is going on in gaza. What would america do if mexico or canada shot rockets on a daily basis into our country. Is our response to 9/11 any different? I wish the muslim world would wake up. Groups of cowards like Hamas use muslim citizens as shields and then you all cry foul at the reprocussions and won’t get off your own butts to stop these terrrorists. If you are going to hide and protect them and allow them to launch attacts from your cities then you have nothing to whine about. I really don’t care much for some of Isreals policies and actions but on this one they are totaly with in their rights. They showed great restraint for a long time before they said enough is enough. All Hamas had to do was stop the rocket attacts and the people of gaza Protest against hamas and do their part to keep them from using innocent men women and children as shields. Hamas, Taliban Al queda What cowardly dogs. Smack Hamas and all extremests with a shoe. If you want peace then act like it or shut up PLEASE.

I have been in and out of homelessness since being honorably discharged as a USMC Vietnam veteran in 1969. I wound up homeless then, in and out of homelessness with my two sons in the Eighties, and homeless on my own again in the Nineties.

I started the American Homeless Society in 1987 while my sons and I were homeless in California. I have been in several hunger strikes, marches and demonstrations for homeless rights since then but have seen little progress.

My longest hunger strike was 58 days against President Reagan’s “trickle down” economic policies that created much more instead of less homelessness in our country. You now speak about fixing our nation’s economy from the “bottom up” and that should mean you are starting by ending involuntary homelessness at the bottom.

HUD Secretary Philip Mangano has been promoting 10-year plans to end homelessness in major cities across the country on behalf of the Bush Administration for the past few years. We would hope and pray you make a similar commitment to abolish homelessness but throughout our nation, not just in individual cities because there are far more homeless than these urban plans will ever reach.

Slavery was abolished in America over a century ago; why not abolish homelessness today, Mr. Obama? Homelessness is just as bad as slavery in several ways and much worse in others.

Men, women and children from all the races, colors, cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, religions and creeds in our diverse society find themselves homeless daily. They are forced to endure harassment, discrimination and persecution in our nation today much like the slaves President Lincoln’s armies fought to free in the Nineteenth Century.

America’s homeless are also forced to endure nature’s harshest conditions without warm homes or shelter for protection; without good food and nutrition; without essential hygiene, medicine and healthcare; and without the necessary education, training or experience required to qualify for the dwindling supply of jobs in today’s worsening economy. Many of America’s homeless today are even employed but underemployed and unable to afford existing rentals while thousands of others are altogether unemployable.

How can our great nation permit so many of these poor souls to continue to suffer and die needlessly on our streets? I joined the Marines to fight for my country in the Sixties so that all Americans could have a better life, not just the rich and well-to-do who are receiving all the bailouts today.

The list of barriers and obstacles facing today’s homeless goes on and on, Mr. Obama. Please, if you are serious about fixing our nation’s economy from the bottom-up, begin at the real bottom by making a firm commitment to end involuntary homelessness throughout our country without further ado.

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